


Welcome to the Avonlea Story Writing Club

by rosesonraindrops



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Pining, Slow Burn, canon divergent but only barely because I hadn't seen season three yet, feeeeeeeelings, post-season two, probably some angst we'll see, season three non-compliant, story writing clubs, the lost year between season two and three
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-19
Updated: 2020-01-20
Packaged: 2020-05-13 21:45:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 13,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19259743
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rosesonraindrops/pseuds/rosesonraindrops
Summary: With Cole living in Charlottetown, the Avonlea Story Writing Club is missing something. Or rather, someone. When Ruby comes up with an idea to fill the hole that Cole's absence has left, Anne realizes that maybe Gilbert Blythe isn't so bad. And he really is quite sad and handsome.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> welcooooome to another AnnE fic literally as I'm writing this note my sister is watching AnnE crack what a time to be alive. Anyways, enjoy! I'd love to hear any feedback you have to offer, or any kind words!

It had been a lot of hard work, but with some time and love, the little shed that was home to the Avonlea Story Writing Club was restored to some of its former glory at last. In their spare time, Jerry and Matthew (and on occasion, Gilbert) had helped Anne build it back up. Although it wasn't quite the same, Diana, Ruby, and Anne could all agree that it was nice to have somewhere to convene for their story club again.

"At long last," Anne began, sitting up straighter, pretending as though she was giving a speech, "we once again have a place to hold our very secret meetings…with the exception of Marilla, Matthew, and Jerry. And Miss Stacy. Oh, and Gilbert! But no one else. After the tragedy, I'm sure we all have many more stories to tell, and more _emotion_ to draw from. I've never felt more excited for a Storywriting Club meeting!"

Anne squealed and passed Ruby and Diana some paper she had managed to procure in honor of the Story Club being in session for the first time since Billy had destroyed their beloved sanctuary.

"I think I'll write a story about a brave hero named…Wilbert who bravely saves a young princess from a horrific fire," Ruby said.

"Wilbert…interesting name," Diana observed.

"I learned from Anne that when writing it is good to draw from real life," Ruby said defensively. "What are _you_ going to write about, Diana?"

"I was thinking of writing about a murder most mysterious, where the only clues to be found are left in the ransacked remains of a small barn. It will be filled with suspense, romance, tragedy!" Diana said excitedly. Her eyes lit up as she spoke about her epic tale.

"That sounds positively _scrumptious_ , Diana," Anne breathed, delighted. "I myself was considering a story of a _tragical_ heroine who is faced with misery in her own life, and when she thinks she has reached the end of her days, she discovers a secret island filled with adventure!"

The three girls looked at each other, overjoyed. Excitement and relief permeated the room.

"Well," Anne asked, "What are we waiting for? Let's begin! We'll share what we have at the end."

They set to writing, the sound of pens scratching against paper filled the air. Each of them were focused on writing their stories into existence; however, as Anne continued writing she couldn't help but feel as though something was…off.

Anne looked around, and locked eyes with Diana. She too, had an expression of discontent on her face, and when they looked up at Ruby, they saw her staring into space, her pen hovering above the paper.

"Do you all feel it too?" Diana asked. "The feeling that something is wrong?"

Anne nodded, and Ruby said softly, "I think it's Cole. It feels ever so empty without him."

As soon as Ruby had said it, Anne knew that she was right. Although the Avonlea Story Club had began with just them, Cole's addition made it so much _more_. He somehow told stories through pictures, and eventually clay.

Ruby sniffled. "I miss him more than I thought I would."

"I miss him too," Anne said, "but he wasn't happy here. And he's happy with Aunt Jo. And what matters most is that he is free to be himself."

"Maybe we could write him a letter?" Diana suggested.

Anne and Ruby smiled. "That's a wonderful idea, Diana," Anne said, "We can take turns writing so he knows that it was truly from all of us."

"I'll start!" Ruby exclaimed, pulling out a fresh sheet of paper. "Dear Cole," she said as she wrote, "So much has happened since you left. Matthew and Jerry helped us rebuild the Story Club, so now we're able to meet regularly again. If you come to visit, you should join us for a meeting. We miss you terribly." Ruby paused, then looked up. In a rush, she blurted, "I don't know what else to write."

"Here, I'll write now," Diana said, taking the letter from Ruby. "It's Diana," she began, "and I wanted to tell you that I took up painting. I was inspired by your art, and I thought I'd try something new. As soon as I finish one I'm proud of, I'll send it to Aunt Josephine's; maybe you can give me some direction with it. Please do tell Aunt Josephine hello for us. How are you? We hope you're doing well and in good health. I overheard my mother making plans to go to Charlottetown the other day, so perhaps we'll see you soon…here, Anne, you should write now."

"Hello Cole, we all miss you, I know Ruby said it earlier but sometimes I do believe that one can't truly express their meaning without saying something twice. We've all had some daring adventures, but I know none of them would be quite the same without you here. Despite that, we know you're off having adventures of your own, and that excites me to no end. I imagine that you're excelling in your artistic endeavors. I can only imagine how much you're learning as a young apprentice for the arts."

Anne paused before continuing, "Miss Stacy has introduced art in the classroom as well, something I'm sure Mr. Phillips never would have dreamed of. She's been putting it up on the walls, and it really does make the schoolhouse feel like a safe haven of knowledge and learning. Please write back soon so that we can hear all about you and what you've done. All our love, Anne. Here, you sign, too." She passed the letter in Ruby and Diana's direction.

They both signed the letter, and Diana carefully held it on her lap so that the ink could dry fully. "I'll take it with me and see if it can be postmarked, or if my father can deliver it next time he's in Charlottetown," Diana said. After a few minutes, Diana carefully folded it and placed it in the pocket of her pinafore.

Anne sighed. "I just love the thought of delivering letters, even if it's just to Charlottetown. The idea of someone receiving my words, my voice from another place entirely is such an amazing feeling!"

Diana giggled. "I can only imagine your awe when Gilbert sent you that letter from Port of Spai-"

Ruby suddenly gasped. Her eyes widened. "Gilbert sent you a letter? When he was away?"

Diana looked at Anne, confused. Diana must not have known that Anne had never actually given, much less showed Ruby the letter from Gilbert.

"I- Yes, he did. And I didn't tell you only because I was worried that it would only upset you more. I meant to give it to you, but then I had the uproar with my hair, and I…I forgot. I'm truly sorry, Ruby," Anne said apologetically.

Ruby sniffled, but gave Anne a small smile. "It's okay, Anne. I'm sure I would have forgotten to tell you if all my hair had been cut off, too. Could I have it now?" Ruby looked at Anne almost expectantly, hope shimmering in her eyes.

"I would give it to you, but I stored it here before Billy Andrews came through and destroyed everything. I couldn't find it the next morning," Anne explained guiltily.

"Oh…" Ruby trailed off. "Well, it's alright. I'm sure it won't be long before I have countless letters from him." She smiled as though she was already picturing herself reading them. "I bet he writes so beautifully, too. I bet he's very poetic, as sad and handsome as he is. All poets seem as though they'd be sad and handsome, don't you think?"

"I'm sure he's a lovely writer," Diana replied, "After all, he and Anne are both very smart, and Anne is a wonderful writer."

Anne smiled at Diana's compliment. "Thank you, Diana. If I remember properly, Gilbert's letter wasn't as poetic, but it was very detailed. He's certainly observant when he writes," she said.

Ruby gasped again, but this time it was one of excitement. "I've just had a wonderful idea!"

"What is it?" Diana asked. She and Anne both leaned in, excited to hear more.

"Well, we've already said that we feel as though something's missing now that Cole's gone, right?"

"Right, but what does that have to do with your idea? Cole's already said he's not coming back," Anne said.

"What if we ask Gilbert to join the Avonlea Story Writing Club?" Ruby was smiling enthusiastically, waiting to hear what Diana and Anne thought.

"Well," Diana began, "I think it would be nice, actually. Gilbert does seem to be in need of more friends. And he'll need some more fun since he'll be helping Bash on the farm and studying more. Although you'd probably have to come up with new names for your heroes, Ruby. Gilbert may notice that all of them have very similar sounding names to his own. What do you think, Anne?"

"I...I'm not sure. We're academic rivals, I wouldn't want him to think I'm trying to sabotage him, or-"

"I really don't think he'll believe that," Diana countered, "Besides, it wouldn't hurt to ask, would it?"

"Well.…I suppose we could ask," Anne said, shifting, "He's just so different from Cole, I don't think it'd be the same."

"Of course it wouldn't be the same," Ruby said, "but it would be nice, and then maybe he'll fall in love with me even more."

"Okay," Anne agreed, "We can ask him tomorrow, at lunch."

Ruby squealed. "Yes! Thank you, Anne. I am forever grateful to you for agreeing. You too, Diana…but, can one of you ask him officially? I don't want to seem too forward. I'm also worried I'd be too nervous to ask."

"Of course, Ruby. Anne or I will ask him. You can stand with us while we do it, so he know it's from you, too. I should really be going soon, though, especially with it getting dark so much earlier now. You too, Ruby," Diana said.

They all stood and brushed off their dresses.

"It was lovely to have our first meeting back in the official Story Club Meeting spot," Ruby said, "I'll see you both tomorrow!"

Ruby started off in the opposite direction of Anne and Diana, a bounce in her step.

Anne and Diana began taking the well traveled path to the fork in the road. They walked in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company, when Diana said, "I didn't know you hadn't told Ruby about the letter. I'm sorry for putting you in an uncomfortable position…but why didn't you give her the letter?"

"It was as I said earlier, I didn't want to upset her with it, and then with my hair…" Anne trailed off.

"Of course, I understand. I wasn't sure if there were other motivations?" Diana said knowingly.

"No, of course there weren't other motivations! I just forgot, that's all. What other reason would I have for keeping the letter to myself?" Anne asked defensively.

"No reason at all, I suppose. I was just wondering," Diana replied, smiling at Anne.

All too soon, they reached the fork in the road. They said their goodbyes, and went their separate ways. Anne made her way back to Green Gables, walking even faster now to escape the chill that came with the setting sun as autumn approached. Before she knew it, she was within the warm walls of home. She breathed in, and smelled Marilla's roast wafting from the oven.   
  
"Hello, Marilla! I'm home! The roast smells delectable," Anne called.

"Anne! I was wondering where you'd gotten to. Now that it's getting dark sooner, you should really mind how long your adventures run," Marilla said matter of factly. 

"Sorry Marilla, Diana, Ruby, and I were having our first Avonlea Story Club meeting since Matthew and Jerry helped us fix our sanctuary. They really did a wonderful job," Anne said, grabbing plates out of the cupboard and setting the table.

"Well I am happy to hear it. I assume all of your schoolwork has already been done?" 

"Oh yes, Marilla, although Miss Stacy doesn't really give us much work to do during the weekend. I did read ahead though, I find the study of plants endlessly fascinating."

As soon as Anne finished setting the table, Marilla went outside and rang the large triangle, alerting Matthew that supper was ready. Before long, Matthew came in. When he saw Anne, he smiled and greeted her, "Hello, Anne."

"Good evening, Matthew! I've began writing a lovely story would you like to hear about it?"  
  
"Over supper," Marilla said, guiding Anne to a chair.   
  
"I would," Matthew said winking.  
  
Anne's smile became even wider as she sat, Matthew joining her. Marilla set the Sunday roast on the table, and sat, too. As they ate, Anne regaled them with her newest story, telling them all about the heroine and her adventures. Anne didn't stop telling it, even as she and Marilla scrubbed dishes together.   
  
"It sounds like a lovely story, Anne. But it is getting late, and you should be going off to bed; after all, you do have school tomorrow," Marilla pointed out. 

"Oh yes, of course Marilla. Goodnight!" Anne exclaimed. 

Matthew, who was reading at the table looked up. "Night, Anne," he said. 

"Oh, good night, Matthew! Sweet dreams," she said, kissing him on the cheek on her way to the stairs.

After Anne had gotten ready for bed, she opened a small box she kept under her bed. She rifled through it for a moment, but then pulled out what she was looking for: an open envelope with the name  _Miss Anne Shirley Cuthbert_ written across the front; Gilbert's letter to her. She had told Ruby and Diana it had been destroyed along with many other things by Billy, but...that wasn't completely true. It was more weathered than it had been, but still intact. Anne wasn't sure why she had lied to them; she didn't have any legitimate reason, but Gilbert's letter just felt so...personal. Somehow it felt wrong to share it with Ruby. Carefully, Anne placed it back in the box where it belonged, and put the box back under her bed. 

"It's like Ruby said," Anne muttered to herself, climbing into bed, "she'll receive plenty of letters as soon as they begin courting. It's best I hold onto this one."   
  
Anne drifted into a dreamless sleep; she was certainly  _not_ thinking about Gilbert Blythe, or how tomorrow they were going to ask him to join their (mostly) secret story club.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well, the question had to be asked. Would Gilbert join the story writing club?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, hey, hey team, I hope you enjoy the next installment of this chaos! Stay tuned for some notes and things at the end!

Although Anne usually loved the rain, she found herself cursing it as lunchtime approached. It was raining outside, which would make it harder to maintain the status of secrecy that Ruby, Diana, and Anne worked so hard to keep since everyone was inside, within earshot. Nonetheless, they had made a commitment to ask Gilbert today, so today it would be. Instead of sitting with their usual group, the three of them sat separately so they could pick a good time to go ask Gilbert to join the story club.

"Don't look now," Anne whispered, "but Gilbert's getting up from his group now. I think he's going to go study."

Naturally, Ruby, never missing a chance to gaze longingly at Gilbert, looked. Diana, trying to remain stealthy, "dropped" the cloth napkin she had in her hand and turned to pick it up.

"I think you're right, Anne," Diana said, "maybe we should wait a couple minutes and then go talk to him."

"I'm so excited! Well excited and nervous. I can't wait for him to be part of our club!" Ruby squealed.

"Okay, okay! Let's go, he's sitting by himself now," Diana said, standing.

Ruby and Anne joined her; Ruby was shaking from excitement. Or nerves, Anne wasn't really sure, though she guessed it was equally likely that it was both.

Diana sat on one side of Gilbert, and Ruby quickly sat at his other side. Anne sat in front of him, just in time for him to look up from the book he was studying, and right at her. She felt her cheeks warm a bit at the suddenness of his gaze. 

"Anne! Uh, hi. And, hello to you, too, Ruby, Diana," Gilbert said with a surprised but pleased smile.

"Hello Gilbert," Diana said smoothly, "We'd like to offer you a proposition."

"I'm listening," Gilbert said, a little confused, but interested nonetheless.

There was a beat, and then Anne realized everyone was looking at her to expand. "Well," Anne started, "you surely know about our shed, seeing as you helped rebuild it, and well, it was home to our very own Avonlea Story Writing Club. Its members used to be limited to the three of us."

Anne gestured to Ruby and Diana before continuing, "but then Cole joined us, too. And, well, now that he's living in Charlottetown, fulfilling his artistic endeavors, we've found ourselves a little…lonely in his absence. And we don't know of any one besides yourself that would be interested in joining the story writing club. So we were wondering…would you like to join the Avonlea Story Writing Club?"

Gilbert looked at them, then leaned back in thought. He took a deep breath, then answered, "I would love to join the Avonlea Story Writing Club. I'm not sure how consistently I could come to meetings, seeing as I need to help Bash on the farm now, but I'll come to any meeting I can."

Ruby's smile went from small and timid to wide and excited in a matter of seconds. Even Diana was smiling, though not as enthusiastically as Ruby.

Anne smiled, too, and held out her hand, "Welcome to the Avonlea Story Club," she said simply. Gilbert shook her hand firmly, then held out his hand to Ruby and Diana, who also shook.

"So when's the first meeting?" He asked.

"Oh!" Ruby started. "It's this Friday, after school, and we will be writing stories and then sharing our progress on them at the end."

Anne and Diana nodded. "I'll be there. Thank you for your offer," Gilbert said.

"Well, we'll leave you to your studying now," Diana said, standing again.

Once again, Ruby and Anne followed suit, and went with Diana back to their previous spot.

"He said yes!" Ruby squealed. "I can't wait until Friday!"

"I'm looking forward to Friday, too. It will be nice to have a fourth member again," Diana agreed.

"What about you, Anne? Aren't you excited?" Ruby asked.

"Although Gilbert Blythe and I are academic rivals, I would be lying if I said I wasn't looking forward to our next meeting," Anne said simply.

In truth, she was genuinely happy Gilbert had accepted their invitation, but she was still apprehensive about the prospect of him being apart of the club. She and Gilbert were rivals in everything, and the story writing club was not supposed to be a competitive place; it was a sanctuary, meant to protect knowledge, learning, creativity.

 _I'll just have to talk to him about it,_ she thought, _so he knows that I am not interested in a competitive relationship within the club_. She was sure he'd understand; just as she she resolved to not worry about it any longer, she and the rest of the students were being called back to their studies.

__________________

After school was finished, Anne and Diana started on their way home, or at least to their fork. It was quieter than usual, which Anne realized Diana would think strange, as she usually filled their walk with anything that popped into her brain.

"So, Gilbert," Anne said rather lamely.

"Yes, Gilbert. What about him?"

"Well, I'm glad he's joining the story writing club…"

"It was a very good idea of Ruby's. I know it won't be the same as with Cole, but it will still be refreshing to have a new member. Don't you agree?" Diana asked, giving Anne a friendly glance.

"Yes, it was a splendid idea. I'm just worried…worried that our- competitive nature could- well, frankly that our competitive relationship could ruin the story writing club," Anne said, emotion lacing  her tone, "and the story writing club is one of the few places in Avonlea where I can be unapologetically myself and not face any repercussions. Cole was one of the most understanding people I have ever met, second only to you, Diana. And I don't know Gilbert as well. What if- what if our rivalry mucks up everything?"

Diana looked down, thinking. She fixed Anne with her signature "concerned friend" stare, and said, "I understand why you're worried, Anne. But…I think of all of the people in Avonlea, Gilbert is one of the last who will judge you. Besides, if you're worried about competition getting in the way, just talk to him, that way he knows you aren't looking to be better than the other."

Anne sighed. She knew everything Diana said was true, but it hardly made Anne feel any better. As if she could read Anne's mind, Diana continued, "If it really becomes problematic, then tell me. I'll help you overcome it. But I really don't think it will come to that." Diana gave Anne a friendly smile.

"You never fail to remind my why you're the best bosom friend one could ask for, Diana," Anne said, "I am so glad that we're kindred spirits."

"Me, too, Anne."

Anne, in much higher spirits, seemed to return to her usual self, and asked Diana what she thought about the veins of leaves and how they looked so human, and was it possible that humans were meant to be like trees? It was a rather meaningless conversation in the scheme of things, but it certainly put Anne in a creative mood. Maybe she would write a story about the trees and the veins on their leaves at the next meeting.

As soon as Anne was home, Marilla greeted her, then asked, "How was your day, Anne?"

"It was good. Normal, mostly, although the schoolhouse was more full around lunch due to the rain, I imagine Matthew wasn't overly happy about the rain, but at least it didn't last too long. Oh! Ruby, Diana, and I asked Gilbert to join the story writing club. It was Ruby's idea since Cole is gone now, and well, he said he would love to join, so we're ever so excited for the next meeting. I was wondering if I could bake something for the next meeting in celebration? I'm not sure what yet, but I'm sure I could think of something," Anne replied in a rush. 

Marilla smiled. "Well, you know Matthew. A little bit of rain wasn't going to stop him. It was very kind of you to ask Gilbert to join the story writing club, especially since he helped you rebuild it. I'm sure it wouldn't hurt to let you bake something in honor of the next meeting, although I don't want you doing it if I'm not there to help. We don't need Green Gables to be rebuilt, too."

"Oh, thank you, Marilla! I'm going to go do my schoolwork now, but I'll be down to help you with dinner!"

"Thank you, Anne," Marilla called up, as Anne ascended the stairs almost as quickly as she had come in.

Marilla smiled to herself. Anne was a whirlwind at times, surprising, unpredictable; but her Anne-ness made her wonderful. Maybe she wasn't who or what her and Matthew had asked for, but she was exactly what they had needed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooookay, so not going to lie, this chapter was hard to write. I knew what needed to happen but I didn't really know how to stretch it into a chapter, and I already know the first meeting needs to be it's own chapter, sooooo yeah. It's a little rough, a little bit slower than what I'd like, but the next chapter should be better. Also, I'm going to have zero access to internet access or a computer for the next five weeks, so when you don't see another update after 26 June 2019, don't freak! I'm not abandoning this, just not going to be able to update for a bit. Hopefully you'll all stick with it nonetheless, because I do have high hopes for where this story will go. Anyways, thank you for tuning in, and as always, I love to hear from you in the comments!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's the first official meeting of the Avonlea Story Writing Club, and needless to say, everyone is quite looking forward to it. (Although, for a multitude of different reasons.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AHHHHHH it's been a hot minute. To be honest, I got really distracted by life things, and junior year has been ROUGH, but I really wanted to write. Also, I haven't seen season three yet (I won't get to until it's on Netflix. Sigh.) Anyway, thank you for your patience, I hope you like this chapter a lot, even if it's not season three compliant (or, maybe it is and I'm just psychic). Also this is a hefty boi, as an apology for taking so long. And a peace offering!

"Without further ado, our first official meeting with our newest member, Gilbert, shall begin. To refresh, we usually spend the first part of the meeting writing, and then we share what we have at the end. So shall we get started?" Anne said as officially as she could. For their part, Diana, Ruby, and Gilbert all nodded as solemnly as they could.

Anne squealed. "Let's begin!" All of them pulled out their pens and ink and commenced writing. Anne delved into a story about a woman who left her life of finery and all of her estates to become a pirate, stealing from the rich and giving to those in need while visiting exotic ports, and discovering secret coves and beaches. _I'll have to ask Gilbert about his travels to include an element of reality,_ Anne thought to herself.

The scratching of pens filled the small shed that made the club. When Anne looked up, she saw Ruby staring longingly at Gilbert, who seemed to be deep into his writing. Around this time, Diana also appeared to be taking a break, and upon seeing Ruby's lovestruck expression, shot a glance in Anne's direction with a look that seemed to say Poor, sweet, Ruby. Anne could only nod in response before she delved back into her own world.

Before she knew it, Diana was suggesting that they begin wrapping up for the day, and looking to Anne to see what she thought.

"Although I could keep writing in your company like this for years," Anne said, "Diana is probably right. Would anyone like to read their story first?"

Ruby, smoothing out her skirt and pinafore, sat up a little straighter and said, "I will," as confidently as she could, although Anne and Diana didn't miss the light pink blooming across her cheeks, or her not so subtle gaze in Gilbert's direction.

"In the kingdom of Avondell, long ago, there was a beautiful maiden in a tall, tall tower named Garnet," Ruby began, "she was very kind, and very lovely, and she was waiting for her true love, a handsome prince to come and rescue her from a horrifying beast! The beast was very large and scaly, with mean eyes and fiery breath, and it had kidnapped Garnet from the arms of her prince, the most sad and handsome man in all of the island. He traveled for many days, through many obstacles, just to find her again. He went through dark forests, and vast deserts, but at long last he reached his princess. With a mighty swing of his sword, he vanquished the foul beast that held his fair maiden captive, and he climbed to the top of the tower to reclaim her as his bride. He swept her in his arms, and took her back to his kingdom, where they lived happily ever after. The End." Ruby included a satisfied nod after reading it, clearly proud of her story.

"Ruby, that was one of your best stories yet!" Diana exclaimed. Anne had to agree. Ruby usually focused more on describing the handsome hero, so it was refreshing to see Ruby trying something new. She was also getting better at describing other things, like places, or objects, or beasts.

"Ruby, your writing was absolutely divine!" Anne raved, her eyes closed, still imagining the fearsome beast.

"It was wonderful, Ruby," Gilbert added with a small smile. Ruby sighed quietly so Gilbert couldn't hear it, but Anne and Diana didn't miss it.

"And who's next?" Diana asked, moving on.

"I'll go," Anne said, holding her paper up so she could read it. "Marlena had once believed that the darkest the world could be was on a moonless night, when only the stars served as a guide. That is, until her small ship and her most unruly crew were spiraling through angry, frothy waves that had once been crystal, and the clouds ahead rivaled even the blackest of nights. 'We have to keep going!' Marlena shouted, trying to appear undeterred by the prevalent storm. She knew they had to get to the next port, or the people there would surely die. She knew the small island was not far ahead, but clouds had made everything hazy, wrong. She felt a prickle on her hands, and realized that tiny droplets of rain had started to break through the clouds, making the deck slippery, and slowly soaking through her coat. She shouted in frustration, for she had believed that they were nearly through the storm, but it was becoming clear that it had only just begun," Anne finished.

"That…that's absolutely ingenious, Anne," Gilbert said in awe. Anne felt her cheeks warm.

"Have you finished it yet? It's so colorful!" Diana exclaimed.

"Oh Anne, your writing is so beautiful," Ruby sighed.

"Thank you, all of you. And no, it is not finished yet, but I have ever so many ideas, in fact, Gilbert, I was hoping I could ask you about your many numerous travels, so that it's as accurate as possible," Anne rambled.

"Of course, Anne, I'll tell you anything you want to know," Gilbert said, smiling.

"Well, thank you Anne," Diana said, "I think I'll share mine next, if that's okay with you, Gilbert."

Gilbert nodded, and Diana began reading. "It was a murder most tragical; the husband of one Miss Brown was found, in a manner most gruesome, facedown on the carpet of his own home. Miss Brown had only just come from putting on tea when she saw him. And screamed. She was absolutely devastated, horrified, terrified, even. But she was also angry, for someone had robbed her of her husband prematurely. She thought of calling for help, but she did not know who to turn to, for the killer couldn't have gone far, and she was alone in her home as far as she knew. She ran outside, and saw footprints; as quickly as she could, she followed them. She would've caught him, too the murderer, but suddenly, terribly, her heart gave out, and she too was tragically killed."

"Absolutely thrilling!" Anne exclaimed.

"Diana, that was gruesome. And scary. But also exciting," Ruby said, a small smile on her face.

"I didn't perceive you to be a thriller writer, Diana," Gilbert replied, surprised.

"Looks can be deceiving, Gil," Diana answered with a smirk.

"Well, I suppose it's my turn, then," Gilbert said, "although, I'm starting to think my writing is a bit…lacking compared to yours."

"I'm sure it's lovely. Now read," Anne replied.

"It was a normal day. The sky was blue, the land was cold, covered in blankets of snow. Will's hands were frozen, his legs burning from use, and yet he knew he had to keep moving forward. As he plowed on through the snow, legs crunching through the untouched fields, he thought. He thought about all that had led him to this time, to this place, looking for the small box he had buried so long ago. The cold shovel in his hand grew heavy, but he didn't notice it as he dove into deeper thought. Some of it was bad, most of it hard, but all of it led him to this. To the end, the beginning. To the great beyond, what came next, the best of it all. He had completely forgotten about the small, forgettable box, in part because he had started to believe he would never need what it held. Finally, finally, he got to the old twisted tree; his tree. And he began to dig," Gilbert said, finishing his story.

"What's inside the box?" Diana asked.

"Yes, do tell us!" Ruby exclaimed.

"It's ever so mysterious," Anne commented.

"It is," Gilbert agreed, "Which is why you'll just have to wait until the next meeting."

He smirked, and the three girls groaned.

"You, Gilbert Blythe, are cruel," Diana spat.

Gilbert laughed, and replied, "I'm sorry, but you're going to have to be patient, Diana."

"Well," Anne said, "I suppose that concludes today's meeting. The next meeting is the same time next week. And all of your stories were absolutely delightful. Oh! Before I forget, I have a treat for along the way. Marilla helped me make them." Before she could forget, Anne gave each of them a tart she had prepared with wild strawberries she had found. _The last of them until next summer_ , she thought to herself.

They all stood to leave, each ready to part their separate ways. Ruby had the shortest walk of all of them, but it was in the opposite direction of all of their houses.  
"Goodbye, everyone!" Ruby called, starting after home.

"Bye, Ruby!" Diana answered as they all waved. The three began walking down the well worn path to where the fork in the road inevitably meant the parting of ways. Most of their walk was Diana and Anne talking about everything and nothing as Gilbert listened, but rarely commented.

"And Gilbert," Diana asked, bringing Gilbert into the conversation, "how're your studies of becoming a doctor coming?"  
"Well, there isn't really a solid place to start quite yet. I'll be apprenticing in Charlottetown at times, though, and I'm happy to be back in school, especially now that it's Miss Stacy teaching."

"Miss Stacy is absolutely wonderful," Anne sighed, "She has turned going to school and learning into everything I hoped it could be."

"I have to agree, ever since Miss Stacy came, I feel excited to come to school," Diana agreed.

Before they knew it, they had reached her and Diana's fork.

"Oh, Diana! Nothing equates to the sadness I feel when we must part ways at this dreaded fork. I-" Anne suddenly realized that Gilbert was witnessing their parting of ways. She decided it would probably be prudent to tone down her parting speech. "Will see you tomorrow," she finished more calmly.

"Goodbye! I will miss you terribly, but until tomorrow, my dear Anne." She and Anne hugged before parting ways. Anne stood at the fork for a moment, watching as Diana went her separate way. She was interrupted by Gilbert clearing his throat.

"Sorry to interrupt, Anne," he said, "but we're both walking the same way, and it's getting rather dark. Would it be okay if I walked you back to Green Gables?"  
Anne thought for a moment. "I suppose, although I can take care of myself just fine. I can slay all of my dragons, too," she said.

Gilbert chuckled. "I can't believe you still remember that. And thank you for letting me walk you home. I never got to ask you; how are your studies for your chosen vocation?"

Anne lit up at his question. "Well, I haven't exactly done much yet, but it feels so right to know what I want to pursue. Especially since nothing else seems to make sense right now, it's nice to have one thing that does."

"What do you mean about nothing else making sense?"

"Well, as Marilla would say, nothing is for sure and certain. But I know teaching is. I know that no matter what happens in my life, whether that be romantic, or where I travel, or who else I meet, I know I will always want to shape young minds just like Miss Stacy."

Gilbert didn't reply right away, and for a moment, Anne was worried that she had said too much. Sometimes she wished she knew when to stop-

"For something that makes no sense, that made perfect sense to me," Gilbert said softly.

With that one sentence, all of Anne's anxieties flooded away. She knew she couldn't tell him, but she felt something that she had only felt when she was with Marilla and Matthew, or Miss Stacy, or Diana and Cole. Only two words could describe it: _kindred spirit_.

"Thank you, Gilbert. For a moment, I thought I had shared too much," Anne confided.

"You said just enough."

Before she knew it, they were just outside the gate of Green Gables.

"Well, thank you, Gilbert. You chivalry never ceases to amaze me," Anne said, a hint of teasing in his voice.

"Anything for you, my lady," he laughed, sweeping his cap off his head as he bowed.

"Goodbye, Gilbert!" Anne called as he turned, starting off toward his own home.

Anne turned to head inside, but was faced with Jerry, who was leaning over the fence, wearing a very smug grin.

"I didn't know boys could like you, Anne," Jerry said teasingly.

"I didn't know anyone could like you, Jerry," Anne replied, rolling her eyes.

Jerry feigned hurt, but laughed it off. "That's Gilbert, _non? Il adore toi, non?_ "

"I don't even know what you're saying, but yes, that's Gilbert, and if you must know, he's joined our Story Writing Club."

"Story Writing Club? Sounds boring," Jerry scoffed.  
"Well, Diana, Ruby, and Gilbert beg to differ," Anne retorted.

"Diana? Maybe I should join," he said more enthusiastically.

"Oh, no you don’t! Diana is the image of perfection, and I will not have you corrupting my bosom friend!" Anne exclaimed.

"It was a joke. Besides, I can't read or write well enough to tell a story. Not in English, at least," Jerry replied. Anne noticed he did sound a bit deflated, but she decided not to point it out. Instead, she asked, "Well…once you feel as though it's good enough, would you like to join? I was joking, too, and the Story Writing Club is always looking for more members." She smiled hopefully.

"I'll…think about it," Jerry said after a beat. "I suppose it does sound kind of fun." He smiled wistfully.  
"Well, goodbye, Jerry. And think about my offer. I'll see you tomorrow!" With that, Anne headed towards the house, thinking that their first Story Writing Club meeting was rather successful.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed it! I make no promises, but my goal is to have another chapter up sooner rather than later. Stay tuned!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some schoolhouse drama, because I truly can't help myself. Also!! Shirbert! And Bash, because I LOVE him.

It was a shame, Anne thought, that the skies could be so deceiving. There were some days that were rainy and dreary and dreadful, but they turned out to be the most wonderful days ever. There were other days that seemed as though nothing should be able to go wrong, for that would be against the wishes of Mother Nature herself, only to be the exact opposite. Today was one of those days.

There was a slight autumn chill, but the trees had created a most splendid mosaic of red, orange, and yellow. The sun was bright and beautiful, and there was not a cloud in the sky. In fact, on her walk to school, Anne had been certain that it was going to be a good day. But as she knew all too well, nothing is for sure and certain.

It had all started in geometry. She simply couldn’t focus, and no matter what she tried, she couldn’t seem to solve the problems Miss Stacy had written on the board. Even Billy was plodding along better than her, something that frustrated Anne to no end. Then, when lunchtime rolled around, Josie Pye had decided today was a good day to point out all of Anne’s very prevalent flaws.

“Anne, what do you think of autumn?” Josie had asked, feigning interest.

Anne didn’t think anything of it, so she answered, “I just find the whole season absolutely breathtaking! Of course, harvest is what really matters, and the days do get shorter, but I find that it means that I just have to squeeze more life into every day. And if I’m being honest, there’s something about the air during harvest that is so right, and the stars are just so-“

“I’m glad you can like autumn. I would hate it if I had hair like yours. It clashes so terribly with everything. Come to think of it, I would hate every season if I looked anything like you,” Josie said with a cruel smirk and a sharp bite in her words.

Anne was taken aback. She hated her hair, and she wasn't overly fond of her appearance, but it always stung when someone else commented on it.

“Well it’s certainly not ideal,” Anne said cooly, “but autumn, like every other time of the year, is too beautiful to not appreciate fully.”

Anne had finally begun to learn how to combat bullies like Josie and Billy. As long as she remained strong, they would almost always leave her be. Still, it didn’t stop her from self-consciously tugging at her braids.

“You know, Anne, you’re just like a tree, yourself,” Josie continued, dissatisfied with Anne’s reaction, “you’re hair is the color of the leaves, you’re scrawny, and you’re always wearing that dreadful brown dress. Why, you’re the ugliest tree in the forest!” Josie laughed, and Anne suddenly felt too small. She knew Josie had gotten exactly the reaction she had wanted; for Anne to feel inferior.

Anne had always noted that her and Josie did have one thing in common: both of them had a way with words. Anne was more of a poet herself, but she could acknowledge that no one could formulate an insult quite like Josie. Anne looked away. All she wanted to do was leave, but she didn’t want to make a scene like she always did. As calmly as she could, she stood up, and said, “I’m going to go take a breath of fresh air.”

Diana shot her a look that said, Do you want me to go with you? But truthfully, all she really wanted was to be alone. She shook her head, and calmly walked out of the schoolhouse. She walked quickly along the side; she stopped and turned, her back sliding against the wall as she sat down. She took a deep breath, and put her head in her hands. She felt the beginnings of a head ache as she tried to keep herself from crying.

She knew she was homely, and that she certainly wasn’t the image of beauty, but Josie’s words still cut deep.

“Anne, are you alright?”

Anne looked up, and saw the concerned face of none other than Gilbert Blythe.

“Lovely,” she muttered to herself, before looking at him and saying, “I’m fine, Gilbert. I don’t want to talk right now.”

He slid down next to her. “Okay. Is it alright if I sit here?”

Personally, Anne didn’t mind; she quite liked his presence. But then she thought about Ruby, and how heartbroken she would be.

“Not now, Gilbert. I know you’re just trying to be nice to me, but I...I don’t think that would be the best idea.”

“Why not?”

Anne glanced up, and true to her suspicions, she saw the heads of Ruby, Josie, Diana, and all of her friends watching the exchange between her and Gilbert. Ruby looked as though she was hyperventilating.

She smiled sadly, and gestured to the window. “I think you know why, you just choose to ignore it. I can’t be with you anymore, it will upset the others.”

Before Gilbert could finish, Anne stood up and walked back inside. By some stroke of luck, Miss Stacy had decided to commence lessons, and thankfully, the cursed lunch was over. Not so luckily however, Anne could feel Gilbert watching her. When she snuck a glance in his direction, she saw that his face was one of concern, worry, even. Anne looked away, trying to ignore him.

Although English was usually her favorite subject, Anne found her mind wandering in all different directions. Most of the afternoon, her thoughts were focused on Josie. And how sometimes she wished she were a tree, so that she wouldn't have to navigate all the social do's and don’t's of life. It was too much pressure, she thought, for one person to have to remember so many rules that weren't in the least bit useful, and served no purpose she could see. Why did women have to wear corsets? Why couldn't she wear trousers, especially when they were the more comfortable option? And most importantly, why was it considered wrong in the eyes of society to recite how one felt through poetry?

Anne tried not to let Josie upset her too much, but she found it hard not to feel angry and dejected for the rest of the afternoon. To add insult to injury, Ruby wasn't speaking to her. Diana told her that it was because Josie had told Ruby that it had been Anne's plan all along to get Gilbert alone.

"That's absurd!" Anne had exclaimed as they were putting their coats on. "He approached me!" 

"I know, Anne," Diana said sympathetically, "but you know how she feels about Gilbert. Just give her space and talk to her tomorrow. She may have even forgotten by then."

"Alright, but you had better be right," Anne said, feeling tired suddenly. She decided today would be a good day to write a little extra in her sanctuary. Maybe if she was lucky, she'd see her fox. 

"Shall we walk home together today, Anne?" Diana asked as they exited the schoolhouse. 

"I appreciate your offer, Diana, but I was going to go to our meeting spot and write in the comfort of my own company for a bit," Anne replied. 

"Okay! I understand. I'll see if Ruby wants to walk part of the way with me," Diana said empathetically.

"Thank you, Diana! I'll see you tomorrow!" Anne smiled, and turned as she walked, waving. She started off as quickly as she could to the little shed.

Before long, she was engulfed in the peace that her secluded little shed exuded. She pulled out a sheet of paper and her favorite pen (the pen of possibility for now), and began to write. She didn't add on to her previous story, nor did she start a new one. Instead, she wrote about all that she felt. She fully intended to hide the sheet of paper so that it would never be seen by human eyes that weren't her own once she was finished. For now, though, she needed to process her feelings somehow.Josie never usually got to her as much as she did earlier that day, but Anne assumed it was probably the addition of Ruby's hurt that was causing all of the turmoil in her heart.

Anne had plunged deep into her writing, finally happy to have some solace from her troublesome day, until she was abruptly taken out of her frenzy by a quiet knock. She stopped, and looked up.

"Anne? It's me, Gilbert. May I come in?" 

Gilbert. Why was he here? "Why are you here, Gilbert?"

"Because you seemed not yourself today, and I wanted to check on you," he answered, "May I come in?"

Anne didn't answer right away. "…Sure. Come in," she replied. 

Gilbert stepped in gently, as if he didn't want to disturb the quiet ambiance.

"I thought I might find you here. Are you alright?"

Anne knew his intentions were good, but all of Gilbert's questions were scaring her. What did she say to that? "I'm alright. I appreciate your concern, but I will be okay," she said curtly.

"Anne, there's no one around. If you're not alright, you can tell me. It's healthy to share your feelings sometimes, you know."

"Oh, and where'd you learn that?" she said somewhat defensively.

"As much as I would love to say I read it in a medical periodical, I have to admit that I learned that from Bash. I could never tell him for fear of inflating his ego, but he's pretty wise."

Anne sighed. "Gilbert, I'm not afraid of sharing my feelings. I'm afraid of burdening you with my lamenting."

"You could never burden me, Anne. Besides, I asked. What upset you today?"  
Anne considered pushing him away again, but they were all alone, and she trusted Gilbert, even if they weren't the best of friends. "Josie Pye has a way with words," Anne began, "and although it is nothing new, her thoughts on me today were especially…" she searched for the perfect word, "scathing. I decided to remove myself before she had a chance to say more." 

Gilbert's brow furrowed. "Josie Pye may have a way with words, but they're rarely true. If you don't mind my asking…what did she say?"

Anne sighed again. "Nothing I haven't heard before, really. She compared me to a tree; I'm scrawny and my hair is the color of the leaves, and my dress is just like a plain stump," she relayed, "I know I'm homely, but I don't exactly enjoy hearing it from others." 

Gilbert didn't say anything for a moment. When she looked at him, she saw that his expression was clouded, stormy, almost. 

"Anne," he began, "I would like to start by saying you are a lot of things, but homely is not one of them. Smart? Yes. Kind, compassionate, and absolutely radiant? Definitely. But you are not homely. And Josie is right about one thing: your hair is just like the leaves, but that is most certainly a compliment. It's a most lovely shade of red, even if you don't think so."

Anne was completely at a loss for words. She didn't know what Gilbert was going to say, but she was not expecting that. Before the pause went on too long, she said, "Thank you, Gilbert. That's very kind of you to say."

"It's true, too. Every word of it."

Anne felt her cheeks warm. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around Gilbert in a tight hug. She felt him hesitate, but after a second, he melted into her embrace; she felt his arms wrap around her. "Thank you," she whispered. 

Their embrace lasted longer than it should have, and they both seemed to realize the impropriety of the whole situation, for they jumped apart very suddenly. Anne was certain her cheeks were the color of her hair. 

"I should go; Marilla told me she doesn't want me staying out too late. But thank you, Gilbert. I'll…see you tomorrow," Anne said awkwardly. She stood up, and before he could get a word in edgewise, she left him in the small shed, and hurried back to Green Gables.

_________

Anne's words to him at lunch hadn't stopped turning through Gilbert's mind all afternoon.

" _“I think you know why, you just choose to ignore it,"_ she had said. And then, _"I can’t be with you anymore, it will upset the others."_

She had said all of it with that small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. He had tried to ignore it, get it out of his head, but he couldn't stop thinking, especially after their exchange in Anne's shed. She had left so quickly; the air was charged with something he couldn't define.

He sighed _. It will upset the others._ But why? Why did it matter?

On top of that, now he was left to wonder about what had just occurred between him and Anne. Nothing about it was improper, but it was… _different_. It was one of the very few times in which he didn't feel as though he was alone in his feelings, as though maybe Anne felt the same way he did about her. There were only two other times he had felt that way: Christmas and Bash's wedding. He felt himself smile as he recalled that brief moment at Christmas when he had given her his gift, and then again when they had blown out that candle. He often cursed himself for that moment. He had very nearly kissed her; he wanted to, and he still did, but he was never sure if Anne wanted that, too.

Gilbert felt himself growing cold, and began his trip home, walking quickly so he could get out of the November chill as quickly as possible. He crossed the threshold of his home, and was immediately greeted by the cozy atmosphere. 

"Blythe, how kind of you to show up!" Bash exclaimed, somehow managing to be welcoming and accusing. 

"Sorry Bash, I know you were expecting me back sooner but…something came up," Gilbert apologized.

"Something came up? You're sixteen, what could've possibly come up besides…"

"It's nothing Bash, seriously," Gilbert said, trying to avoid the topic. 

"Blythe, I need to know if I'm going to have Marilla on our doorstep upset because you and Anne did something improper," Bash countered.

"No! It was nothing like that!" Gilbert exclaimed defensively. "She was upset, more than usual. I wanted to make sure she was okay. All we did was talk."

"If you say so," Bash said, a small smirk on his face.

Gilbert was going to ignore Bash and start some of his schoolwork, but he turned, still trying to piece together what Anne had thought Gilbert was supposed to know.

"I do have a question, though." 

"Go on," Bash said, suddenly more interested.

"Earlier today, I had tried to talk to Anne during lunch, when she was initially upset. I had asked her if I could sit next to her, but she said no. When I asked why, she said, 'I think you know why, you just choose to ignore it.' Then she nodded towards a window where some of her friends were watching us and said, 'I can't be with you anymore, it will upset the others.' And she left. The thing is, I don't know why it would matter. I don't know why my sitting next to Anne would harm or, or, offend anyone," Gilbert explained, exasperated.

"You know, for someone who wants to become a doctor, you sure are thick, Blythe."

"Could you just help me?"

"Fine," Bash said, pulling out a chair and sitting down, "Here. Sit." Gilbert took a seat as Bash continued, "You are a handsome young man, Blythe. There are girls who will fancy you. To me, it sounds like there already is someone who may hold a torch for you. Why else would someone be upset by Anne being with you? My guess is that there is someone that Anne is close to who likes you, and she doesn't want to upset them. Someone she cares about, someone sensitive, easy to hurt. Does that help, or do I need to be even more clear?" 

"No.…" Gilbert trailed off, lost in thought, "That helps a lot, actually. But I…you don't think I did anything to upset Anne, right?" 

Bash scoffed. "Of course not! You were just making sure she was okay. Besides, she very plainly said she didn't want to upset the others. It wasn't about her."

"I can never tell where I stand with her. I think we're friends; I hope we're friends, but then she says things like that, and I'm so worried that it's something I did--"

"Gilbert, you didn't do anything wrong. But I think she's right. I think deep down, you do know what she's talking about, and it's time you thought about what she's saying, get to the root of the problem. I don't think you'll ever be able to be close with Anne as long as she's worried about her friendship with someone else."

Gilbert smiled, though it was somewhat strained. He had a lot to think about. "Thanks Bash. I'd be lost if it wasn't for you," he said. 

"At least you're getting better at admitting your feelings," Bash joked. 

Gilbert laughed. "Well I saw how it turned out for you. Maybe I just have a little more hope now," he said wistfully. He smiled softly, and left the small room to start on his schoolwork. Despite his best efforts to focus, though, he always found himself coming back to the strange words of a certain red-haired girl who seemed to be his main focus as of late. He decided he'd ask Diana more tomorrow now that he had more information. 

Bash had said that it was someone Anne was close to that had to like him. There were only two people that Anne was truly close to (not including Cole), and that was Ruby and Diana. He knew that Diana didn't like him; they had always been more like siblings. Then he thought about Ruby...Ruby, who always seemed nervous around him. Ruby, whose face had been pressed to the window while he and Anne were talking. Ruby, whose eyes were strangely puffy after he'd returned to the classroom. Suddenly, it felt like when Miss Stacy had showed them how to generate electricity from a potato. It all made sense. Ruby liked him, and Anne didn't want to upset her, so she ignored him. He recalled the slate incident. Was that...because she was trying to protect Ruby? 

Suddenly, the situation felt much too complicated. He cared about Ruby, he really did, but he liked Anne. He wasn't even sure that it was liking, but maybe even more. Gilbert cleared the thought from his head as soon as he thought it. There was no use in trying to dig deeper into his feelings. For now, he needed to figure out how to get closer to Anne without accidentally causing her to lose her friendship with Ruby. He also needed to come up with a way to help Ruby move on, or to at least make it clear that he was interested in someone else. But that was a problem for later. He realized that he hadn't even began to work, and already, it was getting late. He came to the decision he would keep his plan of talking to Diana and hopefully getting to the bottom of  _something_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me: I'll post! Hopefully sooner rather than later  
> Also me: doesn't post for like a month and a half  
> Even more disappointing, I had half of this already written!!   
> For reals this time, I'm going to try to post some good old fashioned Christmas content, because I've got IDEAS that need to be processed. But also, exams?? are big stressful, so we'll see. Knowing me, it'll be a Christmas Eve kind of night. I hope you liked it, I know that the editing may be a little rough, but I'm really, really excited about this chapter.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Gilbert talks to Diana and Bash talks to Gilbert, because someone needs to.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ooooookay so here's the tea....  
> I didn't finish writing this because I had some major writer's block, I'm sorry team  
> And I'm not super happy and in love with this chapter because it's more of a filler which is how I feel like most of the chapters are, but I think it'll help progress the story, especially since I was lacking direction after I watched season three. I hate being canon divergent, but there's not tons I can do about it at this point, you know?

Gilbert's initial plan of talking to Diana ended up taking longer to actually execute than he expected. He was going to ask her after school one day, but he kept finding reasons…well, not to. First it was because he wanted to make sure Bash didn't need any help. Especially with Mary having just had a baby, there was always more work to be done. Then it was because she seemed busy, and he wanted to talk to her alone. After that, it was that he was just so stressed about his school work, and school was supposed to come first. The excuses kept coming, and before he knew it, they were on break for Christmas.

Of course, he'd had a wonderful holiday, but he was constantly reminded that he hadn't done as he'd meant to. He had never actually found out if his suspicions about Ruby were correct. Inevitably, the Cuthberts invited him, Bash, and Mary to celebrate Christmas together again, and he couldn't help but notice Anne skirting around his presence. No matter what he did, where they were, or what he said, she always seemed put off by his presence. Not annoyed, or upset, but on edge. As though she didn't want to be out of place. It was odd to Gilbert. Anne was the type of person who always spoke her mind, for better or worse. This time around, though, the silence was deafening. She didn't say a word. Even Bash and Mary seemed to notice how strange they were acting.

When they got back to their home, Bash said, "Y'know, Blythe, you're acting as though you've never seen the girl before."

"That's going to have to change real soon," Mary chimed in, "Marilla just offered to come by on the weekends to help with Delli, too. She told me she'd be bringing Anne along."

Gilbert's eyes widened and he felt his pulse pick up at an unusual pace. "Anne? Here?"

"Yes, Anne, here, and you better start acting like she's actually your friend or we're going to have a problem," Bash joked.

"The truth is, we haven't really talked since that one day. When she told me she couldn’t talk to me anymore."

"You mean you didn't go after her? Try to tell her that her friendship mattered more to you than what the others thought of her?" Bash exclaimed. "Mary, I can't believe it. The boy must be daft!"

"It's more complicated than that!"  
"Mhmm, I've heard that one before. The only thing here that's complicated is your feelings for that girl," Mary said, almost accusingly.

"No, really! I- I…look. I would tell her those things, truly, I would. But that's not the problem. Anne didn't have the easiest time making friends when she first came to Avonlea. Now that she finally has friends, people who care about her, she's determined to keep them, and to not upset them. Some people still make that hard for her, though," Gilbert explained. Understanding dawned on Mary and Bash as he continued, "It doesn't matter what I think. She'll do anything to keep her friends happy. And I was going to ask Diana about it, ask her what I could do…but then I didn't. And now here we are."

"You two sure do have a knack for getting yourselves into trouble," Mary said, shaking her head at Bash and Gilbert. "What? Me?" Bash said, affronted.

"Yes, you. You, Mr. Lacroix, are always seeming to find ways to cause problems," Mary said with a small smirk.

Bash grinned, and looked at Mary, his gaze filled with love. "Good thing I know how to get myself out of trouble," he teased, leaning in.

"That you do," she agreed as they kissed deeply.

Gilbert cleared his throat uncomfortably. Mary and Bash seemed to remember where they were and who was present as they cut their kiss short.

"You go back to school on Monday don't you?" Bash asked, turning his attention to Gilbert. "Just talk to Diana then. And stop being so odd around Anne. She's bound to notice if you're not careful."

Gilbert sighed. He knew Bash was right. "Oh, all right. I'll talk to her on Monday, no matter what. I'm going to turn in now. I'll be reading if either of you need me." With that, Gilbert turned and left the small dining room. He sat at the desk in his room and began reading from one of his medical textbooks. He felt a wave of sleep come over him as he yawned. "Just a few more pages," he said to himself, but before long, he was slumped over his desk, asleep.

_________

The next day came along, and Gilbert couldn't seem to shake the drowsy feeling he'd had since he woke up. It seemed to follow him like a cloud, or maybe a fog. Muddled as his thoughts were, one thing shone through, crystal clear: he needed to know what was going on with Anne. He had to talk to Diana. He had never been more afraid of something so simple. But at last, the time came.

"Diana, may I talk to you? Um, in private?" he asked.

Diana cocked an eyebrow. "Gilbert, I don't know what's wrong with you, but you look as though you're trying to work up the courage to ask to court me or something. What's going on?" she questioned, a mischievous spark in her dark eyes.

Gilbert felt his cheeks warm, and he could only imagine how red they must've have suddenly become. _This was a disaster_ , he thought. "No, no, it's about something else. Uh, someone else, actually," he said somewhat sheepishly.

"Hmmm, interesting. All right, schoolhouse steps in two minutes. I'll talk to you then," she decided. She turned back to the small circle she was sitting in before she could even see Gilbert confirm with a nod. As he was leaving the schoolhouse, though, he could hear her telling the other girls that she had to go help Gilbert with his English homework, and that she would be back in the blink of an eye.

A few moments later, she joined him on the steps.

"So.…" Gilbert began awkwardly.

Diana sighed. "Gilbert, this had better be important, I'm risking a lot here."

"What do you mean?"

"Don't you know?"

"Know what?"

"Oh my," she said, shaking her head, almost as though she was disappointed in him, "you really don't know. It all makes so much sense!"

"Diana, I just wanted to ask you-"

"Ask me what? If Ruby likes you? Gilbert, have you not been around her? Seriously, just ask the poor girl to walk home with you already! You'd be a suitable match, I'm sure-"  
"No, Diana! That's not it. Well, not really. It was part of it. I was going to ask you why Anne was avoiding me," Gilbert explained, exasperated.

Diana was silent for a beat. "Oh," she said, in a rather small voice, "I suppose that's another good question. The truth is, Anne is fiercely loyal to her friends. She would never do anything to hurt them. Least of all Ruby, who is…well, who's in love with you."

Gilbert could swear his heart stopped. "But- but I've never done anything to return her affections! I didn't even know until today! I-"

"Look," Diana interrupted, "do you think you could ever come to truly love Ruby as she deserves?"

Gilbert thought for a moment, but he already knew the answer. "I…no. Not as she deserves."

Diana looked down, and for a split second he was concerned he'd answered wrong, but when she looked back at him, he could tell she already suspected his answer. "I thought so. So what do you want me to do exactly, Gilbert?"

"I want to know how I can fix things with Anne," He answered honestly.

"As much as you're going to hate it, you need to give her space. She needs to come to the conclusion that you will not jeopardize her relationship with Ruby on her own. In the mean time, I'll talk to her. I'm sorry Gilbert, there's not much you can do," she said.

He sighed. "I thought so, but…I needed to know. Thank you, Diana, truly," Gilbert said.

"Of course." She smiled, then continued, "I'm going to go back inside now, but I promise I'll talk to Anne today."

"Okay. But please, keep me updated."

"Sure thing, Gil." And with that, she turned and walked back inside, leaving him with his thoughts.

It wasn't long before Miss Stacy was calling them back inside, but it felt as though eternities had passed to Gilbert. All he wanted to do was go back home so he could ask Bash what he was supposed to do now. Knowing Bash, He'd probably just laugh in his face and call him a moke.

"Alright, class," Miss Stacy announced, "we are going to be doing a group assignment."

Throughout the classroom, there where choruses of cheers and groans. He noticed that Anne seemed excited. He saw her exchange a look with Diana, as if to say that they were going to be partners, no matter what. That is, until Miss Stacy continued, "I have already chosen your partners, because an important part of life is working with someone you wouldn't normally." With that, Anne's jaw dropped. She was appalled, he could tell. _It was almost cute_ , he thought. Then he realized what he was thinking, about _Anne_ , no less, and he promptly looked away, hard as it was.

Despite the uproar at Miss Stacy's announcement, she quieted the unruly class quickly and continued, saying, "You will be creating a short periodical about a natural topic of my choosing that is assigned along with your groups."

Gilbert could swear up and down he had never heard Anne complain out loud during a class, but this time he heard a groan followed by a thump as she put her head down dramatically.

  
He watched as Miss Stacy glanced around the room, amused. "Anne, do put your head up, what I'm about to say is important," she scolded with a teasing lilt. Anne's head shot up, and she practically snapped to attention.

"Sorry!" she exclaimed.

"Alright, here are your groups. You will noticed I have paired you girl-boy, NOT because I am encouraging flirtatious behavior or romantic endeavors, but because I want you to learn how to work with each other and treat each other as equal partners. Josie and Billy will be studying rocks, Moody and Diana, you will be studying trees, Charlie and Ruby will be studying stars…" Miss Stacy listed. Gilbert tuned out, until he suddenly heard his name, "and Anne and Gilbert, you two will be studying wildflowers."

Gilbert turned to Anne, a smile breaking out on his face (against his will, and best judgement, but he truly couldn't help himself), to see her eyes widen in shock. He saw her start to raise her hand, only to think better of it and slowly retract it.

With a clap, Miss Stacy explained, "Everyone get into your groups, and start coming up with some ideas! Oh, and one more thing, you may include physical examples of your items if applicable and if you so choose."

Slowly, everyone starting dispersing to sit with their partner, but Anne stayed in her seat, looking rather dejected about the whole ordeal. Gingerly, Gilbert crossed the row to Anne. "So, Anne," he said somewhat tentatively, sitting in Diana's usual spot, "it appears as though we're working together."

"Yes, it appears we are," she said coldly. "I know rather a lot about wildflowers already. I don't have any books but I'm sure-"

"I think I have something," Gilbert interrupted suddenly, receiving a glare from Anne. "Sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt. I just remember a book about plant life in my father's room. I'll bring it in tomorrow."

"Oh," Anne said, her interests clearly piqued, "Well that's somewhere to start. I'm sure Miss Stacy has something, too. We can split the work writing, but come up with the articles together, if you like."

Gilbert smiled. "I'd like that very much. Perfect. At least now we have a place to start. Do you think we should include drawings?"

Anne sighed. "We could try, but I'm afraid they wouldn't look very attractive if I drew them. Cole's the artist, not me."

"The only thing I'm any good for is medical diagrams," Gilbert agreed, "but, I'm sure we can think of something. After all, we have plenty of time to work on this."

"I think Marilla has asked me to come with her on Saturday to help with Delli. I'm certain we could find some time to work on this then, and let our creativity flow," Anne suggested.

"Oh! That would be perfect!" Gilbert said, his face lighting up. "That would be a perfect time to work. Dr. Ward has requested that I don't come to Charlottetown next weekend, too, so we'll have as much time as we'd like."

"Good," Anne said, nodding, "I'm glad we're on the same page, then."

Gilbert smiled. "Me, too," he said. And he meant it from the very bottom of his heart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thanks for reading! tune in! I actually have a solid idea this time!!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another much-needed story writing club meeting!!

After the not so great day of school that included being assigned a  _group project_ with Gilbert Blythe, there was at least one bright spot in the day (despite the fact that this meant more time spent with Gilbert) that Anne had been looking forward to: another story writing club meeting. 

"At last! Another meeting of the story club," Anne announced, feeling charged with excitement, "I could start with a speech, but I think today is the type of day where we should just start writing. So let's go!"

Anne delved into her other world. It was rather cold outside, but she didn't notice; she was too busy imagining a tropical climate. Her character, Marlena, was in the midst of a massive storm. She was facing certain death, and no plan, except to get her crew to safety. It was a rather daunting task Anne had set Marlena up with. She was brimming with ideas, though; so she put them to paper. She didn't even register time passing as she furiously wrote, words beginning to paint a picture as lovely as any of Cole's sketches in her mind.  

"Anne?"

Gilbert saying her name brought her back into reality suddenly. "Anne, did you hear Ruby's question?"

"Oh!" she exclaimed in surprise. "No, I'm terribly sorry, Ruby. I guess I was just a little more focused than usual. What was it?"

"Are you ready to share now?" Ruby asked again as everyone looked expectantly at Anne.

"Yes, let's share. I can go first if you would all like," Anne offered.

"No!" Diana exclaimed. "I want Gilbert to go first. He left us with that cliffhanger. I must know what happened!"

Gilbert chuckled. "Sorry Diana, but I'm going last again. You'll just have to wait."

Diana gave Gilbert a cool stare, then rolled her eyes. "Fine. Anne, you can go first."

"Alright. Mine is a continuation of my last story…Frothy, angry waves towered over Marlena and her ship. She would think they were just past the tallest and the most terrifying wave only to be doused in a sheet of seawater a second later. She did her best to steer the ship, but the darkness made it impossible to know if there were any jagged rocks waiting to claw into her ship. A flash of purple lightning lit the sky up for a split second, and that's when she saw what she had been praying for: land. It would be a messy landing, she was certain, and it was a ways off, but if she could make it to the unknown island, her crew might just survive. There was another thunderous crash, and again the sky lit up. She found her first mate in that moment, and shouted, 'Land!' She didn't have to see his face to know that he was most definitely shocked at what she was suggesting. It wasn't the port that she knew was not far ahead, and it was unheard of to unload a ship of this magnitude somewhere without a dock. But it didn't matter. She knew what she had to do in order to save her crew and herself," Anne said as dramatically as possible.

There was a pause after she had finished reading, but the small club broke into claps and cheers.

"Anne! That was amazing!" Diana praised as Gilbert and Ruby chimed in. Gilbert smiled, and Anne had never noticed his smile before, but now it was all she could focus on. He had smiled at her. All because she wrote something nice. She didn't think he cared that much. _She quite liked his smile_ , she decided.

"My turn! My turn!" Ruby called.

"All right, all right, go ahead," Diana said.

"Once upon a time," she began as she almost always did, "there was a lonely queen. She knew that she needed to marry, but none of the men in all the land seemed worthy to her. She decided to hold a ball and invite all of the eligible young men so that she could find just the right partner. Although none of them knew, she had secretly decided she would dance with three of them and then of those three, she would choose the next prince consort of her country. The night of the ball came, and she wore a beautiful pink dress that complemented her golden curls perfectly. She was absolutely dazzling. The first man she danced with was pompous, to say the least. All he did was talk about himself! Besides, when they had danced, he had looked not at her face, but at her crown the entire time. _Not him_ , the queen thought to herself. The next man she danced with was boring. It wasn't really his fault, but he was simply not compatible with her in the slightest. He wasn't so bad, but she still had one more chance. That was when she locked eyes with one of the musicians: the cellist. She approached him, and said, 'I know it is not customary for the musicians to dance, but would you please dance with me just this one time?' He looked nervous at first glance, but he said 'I would be delighted,' and took her hand. It was love at first sight. He was tall and handsome, with perfect hair and gorgeous eyes. _He will be my husband_ , she decided silently. And from that point forward, they only lived happily ever after."

Ruby's story, too, was met with claps and cheers. "Ruby," Anne said, "that was your best story ever. I- I absolutely loved it."

Ruby's eyes shone, and her smile was wide and excited.

"It'll be hard to match the two of you," Diana said, "but I shall try my best."

"Although most sad stories begin on a stormy night, this one begins far from it. In fact, it was sunny and wonderful and perfect outside. Elizabeth Marie was taking a morning stroll through the woods, enjoying everything that the trees had to offer. She decided it was wonderful company to hold. Nothing in these woods could go wrong," Diana said, setting up the story, "However, that's where poor Elizabeth Marie was terribly and woefully incorrect. She  approached a fork in the road. She had walked these woods many times, and never had she seen a fork in the road. She decided to take the right path, thinking surely she was just forgetting about the fork. Once again, Elizabeth Marie was completely wrong. Suddenly, the woods got darker, and the path got narrower. She turned around to retrace her steps, but she was covered by a fog that was impenetrable. It was impossible for her to see anything, even her own two feet in front of her. Suddenly, she found an old cottage. She walked up the stairs and was met with creaks and the groaning of the stairs under her feet. She knocked, but heard no sound. 'Hello?' she asked, 'Is anyone in there?' No response. She decided to go into the small cottage, and that was the third and final mistake she made. A fatal decision. And that was the end of Elizabeth Marie."

"Diana, that was so different from your usual stories!" Anne pointed out excitedly.

"It was equally scary, though," Ruby chimed in.

"I liked it," Gilbert replied simply, smiling again.

Diana turned to Gilbert and pointed at him. "Your turn!"

"Alright, alright, if you insist," he said jokingly before continuing, "Will's shovel dug into the cold hard earth. Of course, he thought to himself, I just had to remember this box now. And I just had to need this box now. That's how fate worked, he supposed. He wasn't sure how far below the ground he had buried it, but it was slow going. Snow had begun to fall, and he felt his fingers ache from the cold. Despite his worries, he continued to dig, until at long last, he felt his shovel connect with something other than dirt. He dropped to his hands and knees, and began to tear through the earth with his fingers, searching for the forgettable box. He felt its outline, and unearthed the sides as quickly as he could. He lifted it out of the ground, and tore his mittens off, only to be faced with the fierce, biting cold. His fingertips glanced over the unpolished wood and his initials, which were carefully carved into the box. 'At last,' he whispered. He opened the box, and found what had been waiting for him all that time."

There was a beat as the three girls realized that was all for that meeting.

"Gilbert, you are absolutely and most definitely evil!" Diana shouted.

Gilbert only laughed as Diana fumed. "I suppose you'll just have to wait."

"Unbelievable," Anne muttered, "Absolutely unbelievable."

"Well I thought it was good," Ruby announced.

"Humph. Well…fine. I'll wait. But Anne and I aren't walking with you. You'll have to walk by yourself," Diana said.

"Hey! That's unfair! All I did was write."

"No, all you did was make us wait longer. Let's go, Anne," Diana shot back. She turned to Ruby, and her whole demeanor changed, "I will see you tomorrow, Ruby. And your story was absolutely perfect." Anne and Diana both hugged Ruby goodbye, and then set off without Gilbert.

They began to walk, but it wasn't long before Diana stated, "I am annoyed with Gilbert, but that's not why I wanted to walk without him. I think we need to talk."

"Okay.…" Anne trailed off, "What about?"

"You and Gilbert. He was talking to me earlier today, and he thinks he has done something to offend you. I don't blame him with how you've been acting lately," Diana pointed out.

"I- Diana! You know why I am the way that I am around him! Him and- and, and Ruby, I- I can't talk to him! He--"

"He didn't even realize Ruby was in love with him. Besides, it's not her he has feelings for."

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"Anne, I can't say for sure and certain, but I think…I think he's smitten with you!"

Anne scoffed. "Me? Diana, you must be joking. There's no way…but was he truly upset?"

"As upset as I've ever seen him over a friendship. Just- just talk to him, alright? Besides, you're helping out with Delphine now, you two need to make up sooner or later; at least before you're spending all of your Saturdays together."

"You know perfectly well he goes to Dr. Ward's in Charlottetown on Saturdays."

"Most of the time. But not all of the time. And he's part of the club now! It's not the same if you two are at it all of the time."

"Fine," Anne conceded, "I will…talk to him."

"And _be kind_ ," Diana added.

"And be kind," Anne grumbled, as though that was going to be a rather daunting task. "I didn't realize he was truly upset about my ignoring him. I didn't think he cared. And I thought he knew about Ruby, and was just using me."

"I know," Diana said, "but he's not a mind reader. He values your friendship very much, Anne. Just because Ruby wants him doesn't mean you have to completely cut off your relationship with him. Besides, she really is your friend. She's not going anywhere. And neither am I."

"I love you, Diana," Anne said, wrapping her best friend in a tight hug. "And thank you for always making my world clearer."

"I love you, too," Diana replied as they both realized they had reached their dreaded fork, "and I'll see you tomorrow!" They parted ways, blowing kisses to one another, parting no less dramatically than they always did. Truly, Anne would never have a better friend than Diana.

Anne decided to take a detour through the woods so that she could think more clearly. She felt bad for ignoring Gilbert, she truly did. And Diana was right; she and Gilbert were about to be spending more time together, especially with the group project and her helping with Delphine. She hadn't realized how much he valued their friendship. Maybe she had been blind to it the whole time; but what Diana had said about Gilbert liking her, that was all made up. Right? There was no way that Gilbert Blythe could ever like her when someone like Ruby cared for him so.

She found herself pondering their every interaction, searching for clues to support Diana's claims. So he had given her a gift, and she had sent him a letter. It didn't matter. Those were things that friends did. After all, Diana had gotten her a gift for Christmas. What made Gilbert giving her a gift any different? Boys could give girls gifts, and girls could send boys nonromantic letters. It wouldn't be considered odd if they weren't of the opposite gender.

"Diana is just looking for a story where there isn't one," Anne said to absolutely no one in particular. Surely that was it. She of course wasn't going to say anything, but part of the reason (at least, she was almost certain) she was so focused was because the last time she had been in the story writing clubhouse was with Gilbert, after Josie Pye had had her fun antagonizing Anne. The last time she was there had been weird, but also good, and Anne been _trying_ not to think about it, because there was nothing for her to think about, obviously.

Anne and Gilbert were just friends, and they always would be. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> dang dang diggity dang, for the first time in weeks I am BRIMMING with ideas which is weird since I'm feeling a little disheartened about the show ending and also I really don't like being canon non-compliant, but also it's kind of fun, and I feel c o n f l i c t e d...  
> ANYWAYS I hope you liked reading this chapter and if you have questions, comments, compliments, or concerns, PLEASE don't hesitate to use that handy-dandy comment box thing.  
> much love <33

**Author's Note:**

> This chapter is mostly buildup, no Gilbert yet, but literally next chapter. I'm kind of about that slow burn life but not so slow that the fire goes out, you feel? I don't know when I'll update but probably soon! Thank you for reading!


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